The air split instantly under the force of the slash, forming two layers of whistling hurricanes!
The blinding white sword light dissipated gradually with the sharp roar of wind.
"Still… can't let my guard down for even a second!"
After the light faded, Zoro's figure reemerged. He stepped forward slowly, murmuring to himself.
At his waist, the half-sheathed sword exuded a fierce, bloodthirsty aura.
Like a gaping maw, it devoured all the pain and wounds behind him!
Luckily, Zoro's eyes and hands had been quick enough to unleash the Beast's power in time.
Otherwise, that Soru-sharp slash might have added an irreparable, terrifying cut to his throat!
The bloodthirsty black blade was slowly drawn from its sheath.
The sword had a style completely different from the Black Blade held by Mihawk.
If Mihawk's black blade resembled a refined gentleman at a royal banquet—calm, elegant, and restrained—
Then his sword was like a prisoner breaking his chains, determined to return all injustice to this absurd world!
A terrifying aura hung between the two warriors.
From the heavens, a hoarse roar erupted, like the king of lions proclaiming his cruel reign to the world!
Zoro's body bent instantly, his twin blades crossing as they rested along his arms.
ROAR!!!
With a flash of deadly light, the black blade and blood blade crashed downward!
Blazing sword energy formed the massive body of a lion above Zoro, its ferocious head merging with his own.
Blood-red and black sword energy shaped a muscular lion's body.
The king of beasts' eyes locked rigidly on Mihawk.
At the same moment, a faint golden light shot from Mihawk's eyes, scattering the surrounding air with a hazy glow!
Gazing at Zoro fused with the Blood Lion, Mihawk furrowed his brows, a spark of anger igniting his cold face.
Even his small, precise mustache twitched as his lips moved.
"Still… only two swords?!"
"Even with such a slash, you can't unleash your full power!?"
"Roronoa Zoro!!!"
BAM!!!
Mihawk roared, raising his black blade high and thrusting it toward the sky!
Suddenly, a violent golden lightning bolt tore through the air!
The blinding energy descended from an unseen height, striking Mihawk's blade!
Thick Armament Haki, like boiling steam, instantly enveloped the golden lightning, covering the blade's edge!
The black blade, now clad in golden armor, descended like a divine weapon!
It swung down with a radiant slash of electrifying gold!
In the sky, nature's power clashed with beastly courage!
BOOM!
The immense energy collided, forming an invisible wall that split light from dark. Upon contact, the energies dissipated instantly.
Yet…
Though Zoro's twin blades blocked Mihawk's full-force strike,
The electric surge did not pause or falter.
Countless bolts of lightning, like sea serpents, coiled around the lion's body, binding it immobile!
"RAWR!!"
The mighty lion let out a pained roar, then shattered into fragments of sword light, vanishing into the air.
Zoro staggered under the assault, golden sparks dancing across his body, halting his ferocious advance.
Mihawk lifted his eyes, his calm but piercing gaze fixing on the slightly bowed Zoro. He spoke slowly:
"This is the power I gained from my last defeat!"
"A sharp sword path extends only forward. To break barrier after barrier, the path of the sword must grow sharper!"
"But as it sharpens, the sword path also narrows!"
"This is the flaw of Extreme Swordsmanship!"
"The Path of Infinity, however… allows everything, uses everything!"
"No true limits, it embraces all, applies all, utilizes all!"
"This is limitless swordsmanship!"
"Follow this path, and my Sword Realm will only grow larger!"
His dark blade rose, the cold gleam of its edge pointing directly at Zoro.
"The Extreme Sword Intent you wield now can no longer match me!"
"Is that so!?"
At Mihawk's words, Zoro raised his head, teeth bared in a defiant grin, eyes blazing with pride.
His body steadied, halting its earlier sway, then surged forward!
Whoosh~
A massive tornado erupted from the ground, spinning upward like a natural disaster!
The spiraling slash enveloped Mihawk in a prison of wind!
Metallic clashing sounds rang through the air.
Mihawk wavered, then regained stability.
His massive black blade swept horizontally, shattering Zoro's oncoming storm.
Then again, he swung, producing a terrifying gale that tore through Zoro's cyclone.
The battlefield became a sea of wind!
The roaring gusts were so strong that observers couldn't keep their eyes open.
Chopper and Usopp were lifted off the ground, pulled like flags by Franky on each side!
After a long moment, the wild wind subsided.
Mihawk regained sight, and behind the furious wind wall, a crimson Blood Blade suddenly appeared!
CLANG!
Shockwaves rippled outward!
The two warriors faced each other blade to blade, then split with mutual smiles.
A worthy opponent—truly rare and precious.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Blades flashed, shadows multiplied, countless strikes collided!
The area was engulfed in endless sword energy, battle intent surging!
In mere moments, tens of thousands of clashes erupted.
CLANG!
A divine golden light flickered along Zoro's Beast Blade, traveling through the hilt into his body.
Suddenly, Zoro's aura shifted!
From ferocious to controlled, subtle and hidden.
His body coiled, waist twisted, and the Beast Sword transformed from a slash into a thrust, striking at Mihawk's heart-lung region!
A tiny star of light skimmed by!
The sword hadn't reached yet, but blood had already marked its path!
Mihawk's chest bore a jagged crimson line, connecting directly to Zoro's blade.
It was as if guiding Zoro on how to strike!
"What… is this!?"
SWISH!
Mihawk couldn't dodge the sudden style change, yet his hands moved without pause.
The blunt back of his blade shot upward, carving a reversed crescent in the air, forcing Zoro back.
The bloodline connecting to Mihawk's heart vanished as Zoro retreated.
"You…"
Mihawk's eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the now composed Zoro:
"What was that just now!?"
"Ah?"
Zoro, forced back, didn't press the advantage. He planted his twin blades on the ground, a wild grin spreading across his face:
"What's this?"
"Shouldn't you know that already!?"
At that moment, Zoro reversed his grip on the twin blades with one hand.
Was it Mihawk's imagination, or did the blades shrink slightly in his perception?
Zoro crouched low, like a hidden leopard in the jungle, seeking the perfect moment for a deadly strike.
"This is…"
"Your Infinite Sword Path!!!"
SWISH!
With the words, Zoro vanished from sight, a black streak moving at impossible speed beside Mihawk!
The black blade danced like a dagger in his hands.
ZZZ!!!
A spark of fire ignited midair!
A missed strike, Zoro immediately retreated, never overreaching—like a true assassin.
Step!
He stabilized, disappearing again.
A blood-red mist emerged, creeping across the battlefield, shrouding both warriors.
Luffy and the others could no longer see inside.
From the mist, a deep, ominous voice echoed:
"The human body has eight vital points: throat, spine, lungs, liver, carotid artery, collarbone, kidneys, and heart…"
"Now…"
"Which one shall I strike?"
….
Completed version available on [P]atreon.[c]om/Veltoria [remove brackets]